Patent attributes
Techniques for obtaining computer system performance monitoring are described. One approach provides a performance monitoring system that is configured to obtain performance-related data from multiple monitored computing systems. The obtained data may be stored by the performance monitoring system in substantially real-time across multiple distinct data stores. The assignment of performance related data items (e.g., counter values) to storage locations may be determined in a various ways, including by random or pseudo-random assignment. Also, data may be stored in a tiered manner, where upper-level tiers aggregate data stored in lower-level tiers.